Christ is the Captain of my soul

First and foremost, I am a Christian. "This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate." I am who I am, by the grace of God. I am often called quiet and shy, but that is only by people who do not know me. People who know me call me talkative but quiet, and outgoing but reserved. Perhaps those sound like contradictions, but there you have it. I am of the reformed persuasion, believing in the doctrines of grace, or what is often referred to as "Calvinism," and I am daily thankful that I believe in this way. I believe in large families and small government, and that Christianity is to encompass every aspect of life, rather than just parts. I believe in the mandate of Deut. 6 to disciple children in the things of God "as thou sittest in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way..." I believe in the Biblical concepts of manhood and womanhood - in reviving genuine masculinity and true femininity. I believe that the Earth is young and that it was created in six literal days just as Genesis 1 declares that it was. These name only a few of my beliefs, but I believe they are some of the most important.

In this journal are my musings about life and its lessons, for they are many. Learning never ceases. Every day is a new lesson – a new adventure. Life is not play. It is about work – work to advance the kingdom of God. Every part of our lives must be taken captive to Christ Jesus, and every action of every day must be submitted to His lordship. From the way we think of God, to the kind of food we eat, to the way we organize our closets; all must be done with His principles in mind. And no, I am not saying that God has told us how to organize our closets. I am saying that there are overarching principles in His Word which will even affect the way we think of something so apparently menial as closet-cleaning. Because He is the Lord of all, and that means absolutely everything. Even the clutter in the far, dark corners of your closet.

So here I am, exploring the Truth given in God’s Law-Word. Life is no game, and God is daily teaching me more and more about how to properly live it. But this journal contains plenty of light-hearted entries, along with a number of thoughtful ones. I like to have a good time with friends, but I also like to think about things, like the Bereans in Acts, and seek to know the Lord deeper through learning more about His character. So, though it's good to have fun at times, I appreciate friends who can take things seriously as well.

My journal is exclusively friends-only. I love to meet new people, so feel free to drop a comment if you would like me to friend you - I will most likely oblige you. =) However, the only guys I will be adding to my journal will be guys that I already know - and very possibly not even then.

Disclaimer: Often newsletters, magazines, and the like include disclaimers like this, and I shall follow suit. The author of this blog does not necessarily endorse, agree with, or hold to the beliefs and convictions (or lack thereof) held by those she has added to her friends list.

Welcome to my life, friend.

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My Captain- Dorothea Day

Out of the night that dazzles me,Bright as the sun from pole to pole,I thank the God I know to beFor Christ the conqueror of my soul.

Since His the sway of circumstance,I would not wince nor cry aloud.Under that rule which men call chanceMy head with joy is humbly bowed.

Beyond this place of sin and tearsThat life with Him! And His the aid,Despite the menace of the years,Keeps, and shall keep me, unafraid.

I have no fear, though strait the gate,He cleared from punishment the scroll.Christ is the Master of my fate,Christ is the Captain of my soul.

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."- Helen Keller

"Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven."- Walter Savage Landor

“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” - Martin Luther

“If I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain.If I can ease one life the aching,Or cool one pain,Or help one fainting robinUnto his nest again,I shall not live in vain.”- Emily Dickinson

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”- Theodore Roosevelt

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” - Martin Luther